California law recognizes the need to protect and provide special opportunities to young adults. Among other things, state law extends foster care services to age 21; sets Division of Juvenile Justice jurisdiction at age 23; and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provides special opportunities and protections for young adults in prison up to age 25.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION

AB 1308 (Mark Stone) Page 6 of 65 . Argument in Opposition According to the San Diego County District Attorney. We challenge the sweeping generalization embedded in the bill that holds all persons under the age of 25 to a lower standard of culpability just as we did in 2015 when Senate Bill 261 was introduced. The Governor signed Senate Bill 261 which raised the youth offenders from 18 to 23 years of age and it became effective January 1, 2016. Now, barely one year later, AB 1308 seeks to change the age of the 'youthful offender' to 25 years and younger... We understand the need for providing incentives to youthful offenders who have received very long sentences. However, AB 1308 simply allows for those 25 and younger to be entitled to parole hearings after serving a certain amount of time. AB 1308 does not require these men and women to complete programming milestones. There are no incentives in AB 1308 for these adult offenders to pursue education, vocational training or to attend AA meetings to be eligible, they just have to do their time. Further, in many of these cases, the crimes committed by these 'youthful offenders' are horrendous, families have been shattered, and many victims have been given life sentences of their own from which there is no early release.

In 2008 Human Rights Watch published the report"When I Die, They'll Send Me Home" and research on the sentencing of youth offenders to life without parole in California. It painted a detailed picture of people serving life without parole for crimes committed as youth. Since that report, several key factors have changed.

The United States is now the only country in the world that imposes this sentence on youth for crimes committed under age 18.

The number of youth sentenced to life without parole in the US has risen to 2,570.

The number of youth sentenced to life without parole in California increased from 227 to 301.

The US Supreme Court declared this sentence unconstitutional for youth convicted of non-homicide crimes.

At least 16 state legislatures have introduced legislation that would curtail or eliminate the sentence of life without parole for youth.